Baseline health-related self-efficacy for individuals following stroke, traumatic brain injury, and spinal cord injury prior to enrollment in a weight-loss intervention

Abstract

Purpose To examine health-related self-efficacy for individuals following acquired brain or spinal cord injury prior to enrollment in a weight-loss intervention and associations with demographics, injury characteristics, and additional physiologic variables. Materials and Methods Cross-sectional analysis of baseline data for community-dwelling adults following stroke (CVA), traumatic brain injury (TBI), or spinal cord injury (SCI) across three disability-adapted weight-loss interventions. Results Overall results suggest a significant difference between injury type and self-efficacy as measured by the Self Rated Abilities for Health Practices (SRAHP) scale. On average, individuals with SCI had the lowest overall perceived self-efficacy of the three groups (11.2-unit difference; (CI: −17.4, −5.0), followed by those with TBI (9.5-unit difference; (CI: −16.7, −2.4). There were also differences between groups in age, number of household members, time since injury, sex, race, marital status, physiological measures, and employment status. Conclusions Results suggest that individuals with different disabilities following neurological injuries have different baseline perceptions in their ability to eat a healthy diet and exercise regularly. Health interventions should be tailored for these groups based on disability-specific barriers and should include components to enhance health-related self-efficacy to address weight management among these populations. IMPLICATIONS FOR REHABILITATION Evidence suggests that health-related self-efficacy may differ following different injury types and level of disability may impact one’s ability to maintain health-related behaviors Results suggest that individuals with a spinal cord injury may have different baseline perceptions of self-efficacy related to their ability to eat a healthy diet and exercise regularly compared to those with a traumatic brain injury or stroke. Health interventions should be tailored to encompass disability-specific barriers which may impact an individual’s health-related self-efficacy.